Self-Improvement Archives

Too Much Confidence: Why It’s a Problem & What to Do About It

Is it bad to be overly confident? Why is it important to temper your confidence? Having too much confidence in your beliefs and abilities makes you too assured that all your views are correct, making you closed off to alternative perspectives. According to Adam Grant, the antidote to overconfidence is a healthy dose of doubt. When your doubt and confidence are balanced, you have faith in your abilities and can acknowledge that you may have more to learn. There are several ways to balance your level of doubt and confidence.

The Importance of Asking Questions Anytime, Anywhere

What is the importance of asking questions? Should curiosity be encouraged? According to Francesca Gino’s book Rebel Talent, rebels constantly ask questions and gather information to better understand and connect with the people around them. Asking questions also helps them tap into their creativity and ingenuity. Here’s how asking questions can help you grow as a person.

Unresolved Trauma in Adults: James O’Brien’s Story

If you experience trauma in childhood, how might that affect you as an adult? What’s a “survival personality”? In How Not to Be Wrong, James O’Brien tells how the trauma he experienced as a child shaped his life as an adult. We compare O’Brien’s perspectives to those found in books such as What Happened to You? and The Body Keeps the Score, which take a more clinical approach to some of the same issues. Keep reading for a discussion of unresolved trauma in adults, starting with O’Brien’s own experience.

How to Prevent Burnout Before It Affects Your Life

How can you prevent burnout before you even feel it? Can burnout happen to anyone? Burnout can negatively affect your physical, emotional, and mental health. Luckily, Amelia and Emily Nagoski believe that burnout can be prevented if the right measures are taken. Let’s look at how to prevent burnout, as explained in Amelia and Emily’s book Burnout.

How to Stop Being a Perfectionist (+ Why It’s Dangerous)

Are you a perfectionist? What are the dangers of striving for perfection in everything you do? In the absolute sense, perfection is impossible to achieve. Therefore, striving for the abstract ideal of perfection is unhealthy as it can lead to negative outcomes such as procrastination, toxic comparisons, and burnout. Here’s how to stop being a perfectionist, according to Greg McKeown.

Why Stoics Say to Challenge Your Assumptions

Do you realize how often you make assumptions? How often do you question their validity? The Stoic philosophers were big on reason. They identified assumptions as tools people use to bypass reason. So, they would encourage you to challenge your assumptions if you want to see things as they truly are. Read more to understand the importance of being aware of—and questioning—your assumptions.

Why Knowledge Is Important: Reach Your Fullest Potential

Why is knowledge important? Why should you expand your base of knowledge? According to Francesca Gino in her book Rebel Talent, rebels walk into every experience with the goal of learning something from it. They also build on their existing knowledge base, which allows them to realize their greatest potential. Here’s why knowledge is important in your life.

How to Avoid Burnout and Stay Productive

Do you find it difficult to relax? Do you often sacrifice rest to get more done in a day? Society teaches us that we need to be purposeful and productive at all times, so taking time for rest feels unimportant and can even cause guilt and anxiety. As a result, many people don’t know how to take a break at all, working themselves to the point of burnout. Here’s how to avoid burnout and still stay productive, according to Greg McKeown.

Getting in Touch With Your Emotions: Why It’s Important

How do your emotions affect your circumstances? How do they impact your well-being? In The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman argue that getting in touch with your emotions is an important aspect of living a virtuous life. For the Stoics, clear thinking leads to well-regulated emotions and is negatively affected by unregulated emotions. Read more to understand why getting in touch with your emotions is so important.

Tips for Staying Focused and Resisting Distractions

Do you have difficulty staying focused? How can you resist the pull of distractions and get your mind to focus? With so many things vying for our attention these days, it’s hard to stay focused on one thing at a time. Distractions are literally at our fingertips, only a click away. Fortunately, it’s in your power to shut off anything that interferes with your ability to stay focused and get work done. Here are a few tips for staying focused and keeping distractions at bay.